Classic Rock + Heavy Metal News | VH1

The switch from CDs to digital MP3s has changed the way we listen to music in many ways, but one of the things we miss most is the excitement of discovering a secret hidden song, unmarked on the track list! Just imagine kicking back and listening to the latest album from your favorite band, and right when you hit the end, ANOTHER song comes bursting out of the speakers like magic! It’s pretty potent stuff. We miss those days…it’s just not the same on our iPods! So today we pay tribute to a dozen of the greatest tunes that ever took our ears by surprise. Play it loud!

“Dying onstage” is usually just a crass expression among entertainers meaning a rough gig. But for an unlucky few, the phrase prove tragically true. Some of music’s great ones have passed on while in the middle of performing for an audience. In a sense it’s a fitting way to go -doing what you love in front of an adoring crowd. But still, their loss fills music lovers with grief to this very day.

69 years ago today one of rock’s greatest and most influential guitarists was born, Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple and Rainbow fame. He is arguably the first “shredder” in rock n’ roll, melding nasty blues licks with classical melodicisms and unparalleled technique, delivered with a devil-may-care attitude. Read more…

Joan Jett fronting Nirvana for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony was one of the worst kept secrets in rock n’ roll but it turned out to be a red herring. The news went viral Tuesday after The Foo Fighters posted an Instagram photo of Jett’s iconic Gibson Melody Maker guitar alongside the instruments of surviving band members Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear, but in the end the group had much more planned for the night…

By now theKISSArmy are aware that the band’s induction into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame was marred by some serious infighting. The dispute centered around founding members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley’s desire to perform with band-mates past and present, including current drummer Eric Singer and guitarist Tommy Thayer. The Hall of Fame were only honoring the original line-up that included Peter Criss and Ace Frehley, and wanted to limit the new member’s involvement. The whole matter gets complicated (our experts have broken it down here in great detail) but in the end, the band did not end up performing during the ceremony. It’s sad that the disagreements got in the way of the music, and some of rock’s luminaries took the time to weigh in on the whole ordeal!

Musicians in the hard rock world have long been known for being theatrical and for pushing the envelope. When it came to the largely feminine realm of cosmetics, male rockers somehow managed to hold their own and proudly sport some pretty awesome makeup.

That Metal Show might be over for the season but we’ve still got a couple more That Metal Gear’s coming your way. We’ve been talking to some of the show’s most talented guests about how they got started on their instruments and what gear they use to get their sounds. This week read an interview with one of the wizard’s of shredding, instrumental rock, Joe Satriani. Joe’s been in the top tier of guitar players since he came on the scene in the ‘80s and is also famous as the former guitar teacher of such well-known players as Kirk Hammett of Metallica and Larry LaLonde of Primus among others. As you’d expect from someone who puts so much thought and skill into his playing, Joe was a great interview and had insightful and even inspiring things to say about playing music and how to always push yourself forward as a musician.

Kiss fans were delighted this past December when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame finally welcomed the pioneering hard rock and heavy metal band into its hallowed ranks, a full 15 years after they were first eligable for inclusion. But within weeks of the announcement their joy turned to sorrow as the various fractured ranks of the band began bickering about who would be recognized and who would play at tomorrow night’s induction ceremonies at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Read more…

What’s power pop, you ask? It’s ridiculously radio-friendly hooks and close vocal harmonies, mixed with a hefty dose of Marshall stacks and relentless four-on-the-floor beat. Perfect for music fans who like a little sugar in their rock! The genre has its roots in the British Invasion sound of the mid-sixties, borrowing heavily from The Who and The Beatles, as well as Americans, The Byrds. Following the demise of the Fab Four at the start of the ’70s, a host of new groups hoping to carry the pop torch amped up their jangling Rickenbacker 12-strings and made a bid for Billboard glory. Only a few made it, but the music that came out of the power pop golden era (1973-1982) is still among the catchiest ever committed to wax.

Read on for 20 essential power pop tracks that will be lodged in your brain for the rest of your life. Overly commercial? Maybe. Guilty pleasures? Possibly. But you’ll be singing right along, we guarantee it! Be warned: This ear candy is so sweet, you’re going to have to brush your speakers before bedtime.